Blogging for a whole year!

This year I published 43 blog posts (including this one) and 323 Instagram Posts. Here are some of my favourite things/biggest lessons from this experience:

I discovered a passion for photography

It that has completely changed the way I see the world. It has made me a more mindful person and it has changed my life.

I’ve learnt not to get hung up on social media bs

I used to get hung up on how some people can be very disingenuous on social media especially with the whole ‘follow unfollow’ phenomenon (in which people follow you only to unfollow you regardless of if you follow them back or not). I adjusted my focus, instead focusing on the joy photography gives me, the joy of visiting new places, the joy of sharing my experiences and photos. My passion was reignited! I then found enjoyment in the community on Instagram and WordPress, which despite my initial disillusionment and dismay certainly exists. I have made some lovely internet friends from all over the world but I also got burnt by some (particularly by one who will remain nameless). All in all, I consider these experiences, good and bad, as learning experiences. This is also a new aspect of my life, a totally different perspective.

I have loved having the opportunity to practice my writing skills.

I have missed being a university student as I love learning and I love pushing myself in an academic sense. This has been the next best thing without having to go back to uni which I may do at some stage.

I’ve had to let go of perfectionism so I can create.

At times my perfectionism has gotten in the way of me creating and sharing content. I am learning to let go, learning to accept that I am only learning with all this blogging related stuff and that is just fine.

Weightloss: Losing around 20kg

Over a period of 1.5-2 years, I have lost around 20kg, reaching my lowest weight in years this year and I have now reached a ‘healthy’ BMI after being ‘borderline obese’. I had to address some long-term personal issues that have haunted me for years to get this far and it wasn’t easy at all. Now that I have conquered my demons and found a new way of life, not only has my weight problem resolved but every other aspect of my life has improved drastically. That story will need its own dedicated blog post as it is not a short story by any means.

Seeing my own backyard

I have dedicated a lot of time this year to explore my own backyard – Victoria, Australia. Armed with my camera, hunting for beauty, I have been given a totally different perspective of my home which I am endlessly grateful for. Melbourne and I haven’t had the best relationship admittedly over the past few years.

I have grown to accept that I don’t like the city of Melbourne (the actual CBD) and if I am honest, don’t enjoy the surrounding areas that much either. And hey, this is okay. I don’t have to like it and I don’t even have to go there. I do however love visiting the countryside and coastal areas of Victoria hence why my blog posts were mostly about those types of places. Here is a map of some of the places I have visited in my state since November 2017 (which is when I first decided to start a blog):

Tasmania

For my birthday I really wanted to go overseas and technically I did haha. I flew over the ocean to Hobart, Tasmania on my 25th birthday, alone. Nothing makes my heart sing like travelling solo to new places. This was an amazing way to spend my birthday. It was an almost completely spontaneous day apart from my bus trip to Launceston to a hostel in preparation for my East Coast tour. I made a new friend on the first night who I am still in touch with (if you are reading: Hi Kat :)!). I was totally blown away by the natural beauty in Tasmania and encourage nature lovers to make it a priority to see (even make it a priority above Victoria!!!).

Me on my 25th birthday during a boat tour in Tassie.

Austria & Germany

I had a spontaneous week-long trip to Germany and Austria. This was one of the most incredible trips of my life. I wasn’t able to share too much about this and I don’t know if I ever will. I can, however, say, that most importantly it reminded me of the feelings I have when I am in Germany, which is difficult to describe but it is kind of like being in love, pure magic.

Enjoying the views in Austria

Sweden

As I share this post, I will be making my final preparations for my trip to Sweden. I will be spending New Year’s Eve with my friend Nadja and anything that follows, we will just have to wait and see :).

Quitting my job to travel

In late November, I handed in my official resignation to my boss. I can not even begin to describe how this has made me feel. Elated or euphoric might come close. Since then, every time this is bought up by co-workers, “Oh, I heard you have resigned and are going overseas”. I kind of feel like an imposter like they aren’t talking about me. However, I can now say: ‘Hi, my name is Mikki and I have quit my job to travel the world’. This is my truth now. Today, as I post this is actually my last workday, so it is a big day.

My ‘most liked’ picture on Instagram in 2017

Thank you for reading my blog!

I look forward to sharing my adventures of 2018 with you! This could possibly be one of the best years of my life yet. We shall see. I have a lot of hopes and dreams and I will give it my all to make them come to fruition.

Thank you to every single person who has read my blog this year or otherwise helped me with my blog. My appreciation is boundless. Thanks to you, 2017 has been a year of massive personal growth. I’m so glad that I found the courage to start blogging.

Great post, Mikki, thanks for sharing your experiences! I’m glad our paths have crossed in the world of blogging! I wish you and yours now Happy Holidays and a great start into a hopefully splendid 2018! May all your wishes come true! Marcus

Congratulations on a very BIG year! You’ve achieved a great deal and I’m excited for you in regards to your travel plans next year. I look forward to the surprises! Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2018. x

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[…] year is about to come to an end. I am happy to say, that as I predicted in the summary post of last year, I had the best year of my life so far. The entirety of 2018 was spent travelling which I am […]

Hi, my name is Mikki! I travel slowly and on a budget, in search of authentic cultural experiences, hidden gems and epic natural wonders. Travelling slowly allows me to bring you well-informed advice, along with a plethora of personal tales and travel photography. I hope to inspire you to choose your own adventure, not a cookie cutter one!